New Toys

Admittedly I have been on a bit of a painted aircraft buying spree of late. If Misc Minis would stop offering painted planes, then I would stop buying them! The most recent additions were a trio of planes I needed for Burma, and a plane I did not need at all! 

In proper CY6! shotai formation

Let's start with the planes for Burma. Here we have a shotai of beautifully painted Nakajima Ki-44 Shōki, known as Tojo to the Allies. These crisp 3D printed fighters (manufacturer unknown) are in a pair of scenarios from Battles Above 3 (where one can find their ratings as well*), and needing only three for both scenarios it was a perfect time to snag them. Hmmm, now I have a surplus as I already have a shotai of unpainted Tojos...but that's the that it is (thanks, Uriah Heep - the band, not Dickens).

And the plane I did not need at all...drum roll, please...the Blohm & Voss BV 138 Seedrache (Sea Dragon). Yeah, I had ZERO need for this one, but it called out to me, singing its siren, or in this case, dragon song, "buy me, buy me," and so I did. I believe it might be an MSD Games model, and one of their betters ones if so. I created a few scenario outlines that feature this plane, and the scenarios are very small encounters, typically being one player for each side. This would make some interesting (code for different) gaming I think, especially the flying boat vs. flying boat encounter I have some details on. There are no aircraft stats that I know of so I will be creating my own (UPDATE: I went ahead and did create stats: F2 + 0 Lx, 3/26, R3, F: 1xLVC, R: 1xLVC (but only may fire at targets at same or higher TAL), RT: 1xHMG, SR: 1xLMG). It sucks, but it is a flying boat, so there's that.

The Beast Rabban...I mean the BV 138

Hmmm, now I need to buy opponents for the BV!

*A fairly meh but fast C5 + 2 29/46 R0 FF: 2xHMG, 2xLMG for the Ia model, adding in Hx for the IIb and going to FF: 4xHMG. Actually, not bad, but that robustness, aye yi yi!

The Caudron-Renault CR.714 Ratings

How bad is it truly? While within my previous post on this less than desirable fighter I provided some Check Your 6! stats for the Cyclone, I did a deeper dive on its performance and used the Bf 109, Bf 110, and M.S.406 stats for baseline comparisons. The results are not great. And I still do not agree with the speed that good old AI came up with, as my research indicated a top speed of less than 300 miles per hour, but let's give the Caudron something to hold onto! Well, it does have a decent dive rating.

As the Caudron was not engaged at high altitude in the scenarios I am generating, I did not go through the exercise of determining its stats above 20,000 feet. I cannot imagine they would be very good.

In the CY6! format:

Caudron-Renault CR.714

Let's just get this out of the way first - while it looks kinda ugly cool, it's a pig. Unlike several other French fighters that could hold their own against the Bf 109E, the Caudron-Renault CR.714 Cyclone was a fairly unsuccessful effort to take French racing plane designs and militarize them, with wooden construction. As a light fighter it was supposed to supplement the lack of fighter aircraft in the French stable without having a negative impact on French fighter plane production. One might think that a "light fighter" design would result in a speedy and maneuverable aircraft, but with a top speed of just 290 miles per hour (keeping in mind that the aforementioned Messerschmitt had a top speed of 355 miles per hour), the 500 horsepower Renault engine just could not deliver. Surely being a light fighter then would at least yield a superior climb rate? Alas, no, as the Caudron could only manage twenty-three feet per second, with the German fighter coming in eleven feet per second higher. Okay, then it has to be more maneuverable and more agile, yes? No. Based on the Bf 109's rating in Check Your 6! the Caudron would use the C turn chart, with an agility of just +1. And let's not talk about robustness - without any self sealing fuel tanks, pilot armor, or even a radial engine, it warrants an R0 rating. Sign me up!

The CR.714 was first delivered to French squadrons in January 1940. However, it was such a shite plane that it was withdrawn from service - the following month! And the Finns, those crafty Finns who could make a fight with just about any plane discarded in their direction, said ei when it came to the wooden fighter (winter conditions and wooden plane - not a great combination). Ah, just who is deserving of this failure of a plane - I know, let's give it to the Poles, they won't know any better! And to the Poles it went.

Groupe de Chasse polonais I/145, the Polish Warsaw Squadron, received thirty-five Cyclones in mid-May, 1940. But even the Poles were leery of such an airframe, and one week after delivery and many complaints, the French Minister of War said pas plus and ordered the Caudron withdrawn from service. But the Poles, desperate to fight the Huns, and not having any other aircraft available to them, ignored the withdrawal order and used the Cyclones fairly effectively over a four day span in June. A dozen confirmed kills against Bf 109s, Bf 110s, and Dornier Do 17s were recorded, along with three additional unconfirmed claims. In return the Poles lost nine Caudrons in the air and an equal number on the ground. Hmmm, maybe it IS the man and not the machine....

Oh Bernhard, I need this in 1/285, pretty please!

Of course, those who know me also know that I like the obscure, and as long as I have some wonderfully painted (heaven no, not be me) Germans of the types mentioned, why not get a few Caudrons to recreate those scenarios. Wait, does anyone even make this pig in miniature? Why yes, yes they do - my friends at Flight Deck Decals and Table Top Flights both offer the Cyclone as a 3D print. Hmmm, decals, that will be my roadblock. A quick check at my favorite resources yielded a sheet of decals for the Caudron, for the Groupe de Chasse polonais I/145, over at Sieben Schwaben Spiele Decals! This MUST be fate!

Check out the YouTube video made about this plane over at Showtime112's channel and keep an eye open for a few upcoming scenarios. Now, don't tell my wife but I am going to go order some shite planes! Oh, and then decals. And darn it, I have NO French paint colors! Oh, and I need a book on this plane (there happens to be one in the Polish Wings series - and now ordered!).